 With Valentine’s Day approaching The Original Print Shop (TOPS) has an innovative idea that has begun to fill the store’s windows and is designed to give back to the community that has supported them since they opened their doors last year. And it is absolutely, positively, 100% free. TOPS owners Steve and Genji LeClair came up with an initiative that coincides nicely with the holiday that celebrates love. If you come into the store and express your amour with a little paper heart that will stick it on the window for all to see, your declaration of affection will send a dollar to TrueMentors a program that matches kids ages 5-14 with adults for support in dealing with the day to day challenges young people often face. We stopped into the downtown Fremont store and checked out the little love tags that have consumed the first of many windows TOPS hopes to fill and paused long enough to include our own addition to the wide variety of offerings. These little gems include “small town living’ ‘fremont wrestling’, ‘my four legged kids’ and ‘the smell of new cut grass’ as well as the names of individuals and, of course, ‘Chicken McNuggets’ Want to spread a little love while supporting a community program? Of course you do because it’s fun, it’s for a good cause and most of all it is FREE. You needn’t be a customer, it’s not going to cost you any money and you can slap on a declaration of your desire for all passersby to admire. It is going on from now until V-Day (Feb 14th) and the LeClairs hope to fill each of the windows facing Main Street with these emblems of endearment. So get yourself down to The Original Print Shop in downtown Fremont and hang your heart among the other expressions of love. And did we mention that it’s free? “We love the things we love for what they are.”- Robert Frost
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 On Saturday January 25th, the Snow Princess and a Yeti paid a visit to the library! About 130 lucky ones in attendance were able to meet the Snow Princess and have their picture taken with her and the Yeti. She read the children The Mitten, and kids made some wintery crafts to take home. Snow cones, cookies, and hot chocolate were served to those in attendance. Thank you to everyone who came to enjoy the Winter Carnival at the Fremont Area District Library! For more information on upcoming events at the library, visit www.fremontlibrary.net or like our Facebook page @ Fremont Area District Library.  Photo by Lil DeLaat An ominous figure stood stoically in the middle of the muck fields near 112th st off M-37 ice fishing through a spudded hole in the middle of the ample expanse of frozen water where onions once thrived.
Bass? Crappies? Maybe bluegills? Our hunch is he’s angling for Pylodictis olivaris. Also known as mud catfish.  One of Tim Scheerhorn's creations, a Weissenborn Style Guitar among the many instruments on display at the Luthier's Concert NCCA-Artsplace and Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts present the West Michigan Luthier Concert, an event that is the ultimate combination of music and visual arts. On Saturday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m., the concert will combine the beautiful artistry of local luthiers, stringed instrument makers, from throughout West Michigan with the talents of gifted musicians. This great evening will include Tim Scheerhorn performing with his Resonator guitars; Michael Wygmans performing with some of his fellow members of the Kalamazoo Mandolin Orchestra; Michele Venegas of the band An Dro playing luthier Elon Howe's fiddle; Jim Spalink performing on his harps; Keith Caldwell performing on his guitars with Jack Schipper and Michelle Emmorey; and Don Benson performing on his luthiered instruments. Luthier Bryan Galloup will also be showcasing his instruments during the evening. The live performance will also include a chance to meet the artists. A meet and greet reception will be from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the lobby of the Dogwood Center. This is an opportunity to learn about the instrument building process and view the instruments. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Dogwood Center Black Box with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. for seating. To complement the concert, an exhibit of photographs of handmade instruments made by West Michigan luthiers will be on display in the Dogwood Lobby Gallery from January 20 through February 23. The photographs include ukuleles, violins, violas, banjos and acoustic guitars. The photographs, taken by Faune Benson-Schuitema, showcase the beauty and design of a variety of instruments made by area craftsman. Each year new photos are added to the project which has been taking place since 2007. Come out and enjoy this popular concert by regional musicians performing on hand-made instruments from West Michigan luthiers. Tickets are $15.00 per person. Tickets are available for advanced purchase online at www.dogwoodcenter.com, at NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or the Dogwood Center ticket office. The Dogwood Center is located at 4734 S. Campus Court in Fremont. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Phone the Dogwood Center at 231.924.8885 for more information.  The story of "Judy Moody and Stink" comes to life in a colorful live musical by national touring theater ArtsPower on the Dogwood Center's main stage on Saturday, February 1 at 3:00 p.m. The musical is geared toward grades Kindergarten – 6th, and is adapted from the book by author Megan Mc Donald. The production features four professional actors who tell the story through their spoken words and songs. In "Judy Moody and Stink", which premiered in fall 2019, the dynamic sister and brother duo take audiences on a hilarious adventure. In the story, Judy is in a mood, as usual. After seeing her classmate’s picture on the front page of the newspaper, Judy wants to be famous and sets off to find fame and happiness. All the while, Stink and his foul-smelling sneakers become a real distraction as he vies for the coveted Golden Clothespin Award. Judy Moody and Stink are the perfect pair for their imperfect capers that lead to fun, mystery, sibling rivalry, and, in the end, true friendship. The national touring theater ArtsPower has been around since 1985, and has premiered 30 new musicals and dramas for children and families, led by founding co-directors and identical twin brothers Gary and Mark Blackman. Tickets are $10.00 for adults, $5 for children 18 and under and are available through the Dogwood Center Box Office, NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or on-line at www.dogwoodcenter.com. For information, phone 231.924.8885. The Dogwood Center is located one mile east of downtown Fremont.  A guide to Weekend happenings compiled by N3WH Staff & Friends
If you had plans to check out the watercolor demonstration at the Artsplace last weekend and had those plans waylaid by weather there is good news indeed. Eric Michaels will be setting up at 10am Saturday to toss out some colors on canvas while delivering some trade secrets on technique answering questions from the attendees and speaking to his current exhibit at this ever evolving gallery of artistic expression in downtown Fremont. Oh, and it’s free. We love Chef T. and have never been disappointed with her intriguing international dining experiences held at Hit The Road Joe. Saturday you can enjoy a 5 course Yucatecan (no it’s not spelled wrong) Dinner featuring: Sopa de lima – a light and refreshing lime accented chicken tortilla soup, Salbutes- fresh tortilla topped w/smoked pork pico de gallo and red pickled onion. Sorbet course Chile relleno- queso stuffed and charred poblano pepper topped with an authentic ranchero sauce, arroz rojo, refried beans, and tortillaDessert to be announced. Starts at 6pm. Reservations a must (Call 231.652.6020) and there are just a few seats available so snooze and lose.. Forty Bucks a person and so, so worth it if only for her delightful descriptions of the delectables delivered with each course. A few weeks ago the N3 World Headquarters staff stopped in at the Riverstop Saloon for a burger along with our friend Deb. No Outlet was playing and Deb having heard them assured us we would enjoy their repertoire of familiar songs delivered in a mellow manner. She was indeed correct. We pledged to catch them on their next return and that happens to be Friday beginning at 7pm. Good tunes, good eats and a fun spot to hang out and listen to some tunes. The Andrews String Band will be at Newaygo Brewing Co from 12-4pm Saturday. Are the 70’s Staying Alive? They are at Northern Trails Saturday night where they’re having a party to celebrate the decade where the music reflected those questionable clothing tastes...well, except for the bell bottom jeans some of us wore with unabashed pride. Like your rock & roll played with wild abandon in front of an appreciative crowd? Check out Innuendo at 7 Mile Inn Saturday starting at 8pm. We hear they really bring it. That’s it. Got an event or happening you want us to include? Send us an email at info@nearnorthnow,com. And remember… “I’m not crazy about reality but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.”- Groucho Marx.  Winter Carnival for kids at Fremont Library
The Fremont Area District Library will host a Winter Carnival for Kids on Saturday, January 25th in the library's Community Room from 10:30-12:00 p.m. There will be a visit from the Snow Princess and a yeti, as well as crafts and games. We'll also have some yummy winter snacks, like snow cones and hot chocolate! This event is free, but registration is required. Please call 231-928-0249 to register or see the desk in the Children's Department.  Boomer TV provides random reviews of current shows by an aging, episodic couch potato currently in cocooning mode.
Have you taken a peek at The Crown? Lil began watching it awhile back and asked if I’d be interested in giving it a try. She has always been a bit more of an Anglophile than I, however the PBS series Victoria had captured my attention so despite little personal interest in the doings of the royals it came to mind the length of time the good Queen has been on the throne. She passed her great, great grandmother the aforementioned Victoria about 4 ½ years ago after taking the throne in 1952 so the series was likely to have a good deal of historical perspective and we love historical perspective. Granted, The Crown is ‘historical drama’ so liberties are taken which only serves to enhance its appeal since it provides speculative inside looks into the Windsors. I was captivated by the performance of Claire Foy as QEII right away and found the series enticing enough to have plowed through the first two seasons in a couple of weeks. The writing is crisp, the portrayals believable and the backdrop of history taking place in eras familiar to my memory enhances the attraction. With series 3 arriving there was some trepidation about a recasting as the previous roles were vacated to allow for the show to present the good Queen and those in her circle in the next stages of their lives, A needless worry. Olivia Colman grabs the main role and in a short time one is transcended from the early mid 1950’s to 1964 without a glitch. Her performance is flawless showing a Queen roiling with unexpressed emotion and Tobias Menzies (‘Outlander’ villain extraordinaire) portrays a complicated Prince Phillip magnificently. But you have got to catch the inimitable Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret. She drinks the role in with the same gusto as her character takes down cocktails and the interactions between Queen and sister/princess are priceless. Series 3 lasted just a few days in our household and it’s likely to be a long time before number 4 drops but the wait will likely be worth it. They’ve just begun to get the kids nvolved and the history of Prince Chuck and the love of his life Camilla gives one a rather voyeuristic view into a complex relationship doomed to remain dormant for decades. Speaking of burning through Netflix series The Kaminsky Method season 2 also had a rapid run in our living room. We spoke of this before but Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin are sublime as they successfully pull off that artful and elusive blend of comedy and drama with aplomb. If you are of boomer age this is a must see. Arkin does curmudgeon better than anyone and series 2 adds Paul Reiser (Mad About You) and it is truly a most desirable addition. Ken DeLaat  The Grand Rapids Symphony returns to the Dogwood Center on Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m. for a sure to be incredible performance! Join us and you will experience a world-class orchestra performing for you live at the Dogwood! The evening's performance will be conducted by Marcelo Lehninger, and feature Copland's "Suite from Our Town"; Bach's "Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043" with violinists Grace Kim and Chris Martin; Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"; and Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet: Overture-Fantasy". The Grand Rapids Symphony was officially organized in 1930 and is recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras. The Grand Rapids Symphony presents more than 400 performances each year, touching the lives of some 200,000. Nearly half of those who benefit are students, senior citizens and people with disabilities reached through extensive education and community service programs. Their mission is “to share great music that moves the human soul”…..and that is what they will be doing right here in Newaygo County! This program is funded in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation and the Jeff Kinzbach Family. Tickets are $17.50 for adults, $5 children 18 and under and seating is reserved. Tickets are available online at www.dogwoodcenter.com, at the Dogwood Box Office, or at NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont. The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. For information, phone 231.924.8885. What’s Going On delivers some weekend options
Friday is the rescheduled Rosali concert at the Dogwood’s Black Box beginning at 7:30pm. If you had tickets for last week’s cancelled show they will, of course, be honored and tickets remain available up until showtime for what looks to be an evening of captivating music in the club like setting of the BB. Saturday’s Drop-in Art for Children at the NCCA Artsplace in downtown Fremont features ‘City in Winter’ as their make and take art experience.11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. $3 per person. All ages are welcome; children under age 5 should be accompanied by an adult. And don’t be late because it starts at 11am Sharp! Saturday is also Free Family Fun Day at the Muskegon Museum of Art with a dinosaur themed Super Saturday. 296 W Webster Muskegon.Opens 10am. Other music around and about: The Cruel Flamingos will be rocking Sportsman’s Bar in downtown Newaygo from 8pm-midnight Saturday. The Bootstrap Boys are at Whitefish Lake Golf Club in Pierson starting at 7:30pm Saturday. If you are near the lakeshore check out Big Cadillac at Pub 111 in Whitehall staring at 9pm And should you be a fan of the Fab Four from way back or the retro induced variety That Beatles Thing is playing at One Trick Pony Saturday from 7:30-10pm. Well worth the trip. And remember the words sung by the great Commander Cody… “A whole lotta things that I never done “But I ain’t never had too much fun.” Back soon. |
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